Feeding the Friction
by maroon810
Summary: Sakura has ended her fantasies of Sasuke, due to her growing interest in the one person who has always been there for her. A confusing and suspenseful love begins, but when things take a turn for the worst will he abandon her, or fight with her and for her, like he always promised to?
1. Chapter 1

"Hurry up everyone, and remember: be quiet." I vaguely hear my sensei speak a few feet away from me, yet still completely concealed in the darkness. Ever since our break from each-other, our team had grown more independent, but we were still far from not needing our sensei. I briefly hear the sound of footsteps. Sasuke. I realize as I avoid a branch sitting on the ground. His footsteps are lithe and light, whereas Naruto's are swift and forceful.

I reminisce back on how easily Naruto had accepted Sasuke back into our Shinobi family; despite his gut-wrenching betrayal just a few years back. Sure we are all 19 now, but I couldn't help but resent the boy who had tried to kill me and my comrades. Yet I still marvel at his perfectly carved face and elegant posture, but he had avoided me after re-joining the Village Hidden in the Leaves just several months ago. Of course, he had to go through intense sessions to prove his trustworthiness, but apparently he checked out. In the end, I suppose it's not that I resent _him_, more that I resent the way I _feel_ about him. I can barely look him in the eye without going through the horrors of the past and wondering why I ever let myself be so focused on him to neglect the well-being of others.

Naruto and I had grown closer as we united to find him, until I began training to be a healing ninja. Which is why I was so surprised when Kakashi-sensei told me our Team 7 was regrouping to go on a mission. An A-ranked mission. I had tried to get out of it. Although I try to keep my skills as a Jounin in touch, I had to focus way more on studying for healing and therefore, was still behind my friends in terms of force and power. Yet there was something in the way Kakashi-sensei had asked me. His appearance brought back my fond memories of the team, yet when he came to see me, I could barely speak. A rush goes through me when I see him, like energy flowing through my veins. I couldn't explain it. It had first started happening when Kakashi-sensei saved my life for maybe the thirtieth time, he suddenly became more than just someone I knew. But this isn't the time for reminiscing, I realize as we all hear a rush of air above us.

Our mission was simple. There is a group of rebels hiding out in the forest, waiting for the perfect time to strike the outer wall of the Leaf Village; they are closely associated to Orochimaru. If word gets out that they were attacked, reinforcements would arrive and the village would fall. We ambush, we hit them fast and hard, and then we leave. Timing was the key.

My breath catches in my throat as I hear the rebel ninja alight on a branch high above my head. I don't move or make a sound, not even taking a breath. My hand clenches around my kunai knife strapped to my belt.

Everything is silent for what feels like forever. A low whistle emanates from the branch above me and I let out my breath when I hear the figure glide off again.

I tentatively reach around the tree and get into a more upright position. I manage to move silently over to where I heard Kakashi earlier.

"Kakashi sensei?" I whisper quietly. My heartbeat increases when I don't get an answer. "Kakashi-sensei?" I repeat. Still no answer. "Naruto? Sasuke?" I whip my head around trying to see any sign of them anywhere.

It's about one o'clock in the morning and the dark is thick around me. Humidity stains the air and the towering trees and bushes lurk eerily in the dark. Not a cricket or a toad makes a sound. It's as if the animals are aware of the oncoming disaster. A breeze wafts through the leaves causing them to rustle against each other and it grows yet darker when a cloud passes over the moon.

The only sound I can hear is my own panicked heartbeat in my chest as I turn around and around trying to find where my comrades are. I wince as my foot hits a twig. The breeze stops and it seems like the world just halted. Then I hear them. I can't tell which way their coming from but the unmistakable "clip" of ninja sandals hitting tree bark as rebels are notified of the mistake I just made.

Out of nowhere a hand shoots out of the dark and covers my mouth. I start to scream but shut my mouth immediately recognizing the smell of my sensei as he pulls me behind a tree and slams me into his chest, still covering my mouth. I ignore the rise in body temperature from our proximity as my head rests near his collarbone. Naruto and Sasuke are crouched a couple feet away, Naruto pinned behind a tree and Sasuke hanging upside-down from a branch.

"Be ready." I barely comprehend what my teacher says to me and almost think I misheard him.

There's a faint shuffle as a rebel jumps lightly to the ground beside the tree we're hiding behind. I can just see the first ninja bend down to grab the twig I stepped on when a kunai knife flies out of nowhere striking him in the back with a dull "thud."

Two more ninjas alight on the ground behind their fallen comrade and one starts to cry out; I realize the danger of this and leap out from behind the tree, throwing several shuriken. The rebel dodges quickly and throws some of his own. I duck them lithely and run up the tree beside me. From above, I take in the scene in an instant. Sasuke is taking on one of the others with his sharingan and Naruto and Kakashi have teamed up against the other. I crouch on the branch and feel the cool metal of my kunai blades as I whip them out as I shoot off of the branch. I hurl the knives at the rebel who deftly dodges. When I land on the ground he throws several punches and kicks. I manage to dodge the majority but get one good kick to the chest. I let out a moan when my back hits a tree behind me. I barely dodge the rebel's fist.

I see my opening and round-house kick the rebel as he struggles to regain his balance from his own punch. He flies back into a tree. I silently chant a substitution jitsu and crouch to the ground as my fake rushes at him getting in a couple punches before poofing into dust as a kunai knife hits her midsection. I hear the rebel utter a curse.

I skillfully move so I'm almost behind him when I realize he's chanting something too. I rush at him from behind, shuriken at hand when he turns around and points his fingers at me.

He's gone. I glance around me, adrenaline pulses through my veins as I comprehend my situation and dash behind the nearest tree glancing everywhere around me, expecting him to pop out of nowhere. I utter another substitution jitsu when I hear a rustle from behind me. I jump out from behind the tree only to stop dead in my tracks.

Kakashi-sensei stands in front of me holding his bleeding arm. I gasp at the amount of blood he's already lost.

"Sakura, help?" He asks weakly. I let out a gasp and rush towards him as he topples onto his knees. I generate some of my chakra and put my hands out, then freeze. No blue light appears. My hands are simply hands. No healing power. None. I begin to shake as I draw on more of my chakra, trying hopelessly to create some sort of healing chakra. My eyes go wide as Kakashi-sensei falls onto the ground beside me.

"What is it Sakura? Help." He asks, almost whispering. Something in my mind realizes that this situation is wrong, but my body is too busy hysterically drawing on chakra to generate healing. My breathing becomes too fast and my hands shake uncontrollably.

"Come on Kakashi-sensei!" I yell out. Tears start running out of my eyes unexplainably. My head aches and my breathing is shallow.

Then, at that second, everything changes. In one motion I find myself crouched in the middle of the forest on the ground with my hands out in front of me in the standard healing position. Tears rush down my cheeks and my mouth is hanging open. A kunai knife is embedded in my right arm. I realize that Kakashi-sensei stands in front of me and tosses the body of the man who I was fighting to the ground. He then turns back to me and runs over, kneeling beside me.

"Sakura. It was a simulation, none of it was real." I vaguely hear the sound of his voice as I draw shaking hands up to clench the sides of my face. I attempt to wipe the tears from my eyes but my fingers feel numb. I wince when I realize that Kakashi has grabbed my arm and is speaking urgently but patiently to me.

"Sakura, you need to get this knife out of your arm."

I nod dumbly and reach up and in one swift motion, wrench the knife from my arm. Kakashi's eyes widen. "What the hell are you doing Sakura? You need to remove it carefully; you're going to bleed to death."

I watch, sort of paralyzed as he rummages through his bag before reaching up and running my own hand over my wound, closing it up immediately. Kakashi stares.

"I've learned a method of quick healing, it seals the wound almost immediately; the kunai knife wasn't that deep anyway." I explain and with shaky legs, attempt to stand. Kakashi watches me carefully before standing himself and pulling out some bandages from his bag. He motions for me to follow him and we move up to one of the branches on a tall oak tree. Naruto and Sasuke are waiting on the lookout for more ninja. Kakashi pushes me into a sitting position before gently placing the bandage on my arm and wrapping it around the wound.

I wince as he pulls it tight and lets out a breath. He stashes the bandage back in his pack and speaks.

"I'm sorry I never got to teach you all how to get out of a simulation jitsu. Honestly, there isn't any easy way and it requires months of training. Plus, not many ninjas are skilled in simulation jitsu so I figured it wasn't a necessary skill."

I shake my head at him. "No, it's not necessary, I'm sorry for holding everyone back." I say miserably, I always seem to be the one who needs saving. "I wouldn't-

I'm cut off when Kakashi's hand covers my mouth again. Naruto and Sasuke both stare intently out into the darkness. I too turn to where they're facing.


	2. Chapter 2

The sound of silent shoes hitting tree branches enters the forest. I count six but Kakashi holds up seven fingers. Naruto grins at me from his tree branch and his blue eyes light up with eagerness. Sasuke seems indifferent but I recognize the slight dip of his chin as he prepares to fight for his life. I feel Kakashi-sensei slowly remove his hand from my mouth and leans down to whisper in my ear.

"I'm not calling you weak; but if you need anything, just throw this on the ground." He whispers and I feel his hands place a small circular bead in mine. I realize instantly that it's a smoke bomb. Silent, and confusing. His fingers linger on my hand while he locks the bead in my grip, and finally releases me.

When the footsteps are almost beside us, we all leap from out positions. I see a flash of blue light to my left and instantly recognize Naruto's chakra supreme strategy. I go for more of a silent and dark attack; lingering in the trees before finding a target and hurling a kunai knife. The figure is surprised and barely manages to escape the blade. I see him begin to use hand signs and I am not ready to be pushed into another simulation jitsu. I shoot out of the tree, doing a flip in the air so my feet are forced towards him. He tenses and I twist myself around at the last instant, my feet slamming into the tree behind him as I push off and embed my kunai knife in his back. He utters a sound and falls to the ground. Hearing lots of noise around me, I climb back up into the trees to get a good look.

Most of the noise I hear is the rustle of leaves and twigs breaking on the ground, along with the occasional guttural cry of a ninja being cut down. This is good, that way no one will be alerted of the ambush.

I spot my next target and slink to the ground behind him. This one, however, notices me and hurls some shuriken my way. I dodge deftly and concentrate my chakra on my hands as I throw some punches. He moves swiftly and manages to dodge each one. He makes a hand sign and holds his fingers to his lips. As he breathes into his hand I feel cold air in front of me and barely leap out of the way before ice shards shower the area where I was standing. I duck low to the ground and throw a foot out to trip the man, he jumps easily and I turn myself so I'm standing on my hands and shoot a foot out to catch him. He blocks the kick with his arm and I throw another punch. The man holds up a kunai knife and we spar a bit. Finally I manage to land a kick in the stomach and a punch to the head and he was out. I pant on the ground, slightly exhausted. When a rustle sounds beside me I leap into the air and alight on a tree branch.

Not seeing anything I whisper a substitution jitsu and disappear into the leaves. I hear more clangs of kunai knives connecting. I push some leaves away from my eyes and watch my opponent carefully as he spars with my shadow clone.

He curses when it poofs into dust. I leap from the tree, holding my arms and legs tightly at my sides for more of an aerodynamic hit. Before I can reach him however, I see movement from the corner of my eye and just barely manage to cross my arms to lessen the blow. I'm thrown back against a tree and cough as the wind is knocked out of me. I wipe my mouth and face both of my opponents. They're about the same height and weight, perhaps brothers. Slowly, I reach into my pack and pull out two kunai knives. The first man holds up a single hand signal and I watch a bit scared as his skin seems to mold into a clay-like substance. The other makes several hand signals and I recognize a double attack right before it happens. Sure enough a thick fog emerges from the man and I realize its poison. _The clay-like skin the other ninja uses is to provide immunity to the poison gas._ I whistle two long trills, our signal for poison or other sneak attacks. Whispering another substitution jitsu I develop a plan in my mind.

The poison is thicker than the air so it won't rise, but it can seep into the ground and be expelled in other places if I can make space for it. I grab one explosive from my pouch and watch it create a small opening in the gas when I drop it and I leap for it. The bomb was small and not too loud. Once on the ground, I pull out a tag and place it in front of me. Whispering some words and making several hand signs the tag begins to shoot into the ground in front of me. I follow it as it tunnels under. My plan seems to be working fine but I neglected to look too far ahead. I would run into a problem soon. I listen carefully as I continue to tunnel further into the ground. When I hear the sound of kunai knives I realize I am below Sasuke, Naruto, and Kakashi-sensei. Now is the time to begin the hard part of my plan. I pull out another tag from my pack. A wind tag. I place it above my head and another on the right and another on the left.

I then sit on the ground and concentrate my chakra around me in a circular shape. A whirlpool. I feel the wind tags begin to pick up speed. My plan was to force the poison gas into the ground and then expel it into the faces of our opponents, however, I neglected to see how I would manage not to be poisoned in the process, and after all, I am the one who is going to force the gas onto our opponents above me. I sense for the right time as my hair whirls around me in the wind. I see the purplish color of the gas appear in front of me as it combines with the air above me and joins the whirlwind. I grab my headband and tie it around my mouth and nose in an attempt to keep it out.

Seeing the timing perfectly I scream loudly and hope to alert Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi-sensei to leave the ground. Hoping they get the message, I concentrate chakra into my right hand and in one motion, leap up and hit the ceiling of dirt above me. I grin as I hear the crack of the ground breaking all around me. At that moment, I dispel the chakra that had been keeping the poison gas in such a small area and leap into the air as it explodes up towards the trees.

Around me I notice our opponents coughing and gagging, slowly dropping to their knees one by one. I smile when I see Kakashi-sensei, Naruto, and Sasuke alighted safely on a tree above me. They understood. I jump up to reach one of the branches when my breath catches in my throat. I wince and shut my eyes as my lungs heave for air. _I must have breathed in a bit of the poison,_ I realize with horror as my hand brushes the branch I was aiming for and I fall backwards down towards the poisonous gas. I hear Naruto scream my name and I feel a hand grab mine. I open my eyes and glance up above me to see Kakashi staring down at me with his same half-open eyes but he was unable to disguise the worry that flickered behind his lazy gaze.

I attempt a smile but end up coughing instead. Kakashi-sensei grabs my shoulder and heaves me up onto the branch, picking me up by the shoulders and behind my knees and jumps to the branch next to Naruto and Sasuke.

Naruto runs over to me and stares worriedly as Kakashi-sensei lays me down on the thick and steady tree branch. I note that Sasuke walks over and leans over Naruto's shoulder. Kakashi turns to grab something from his bag and I grab his hand to stop him. He turns back to me.

"It's fine." I pause to heave a huge breath.

"Sakura, you idiot! Why'd you do that! You could die!" Naruto yells.

"Naruto, the poison's short lasting. It'll leave my system soon; it's like a one-hit-kill thing. If it doesn't work at first contact, it doesn't work at all." When Naruto continues to stare at me I reassure him. "Besides, I've trained myself to be resistant to many poisons." I grit my teeth together as a new wave of pain washes over me, and let a small moan leave my mouth.

"Sakura, what you did was very intelligent and brave but you need serious medical help." Kakashi says digging around in his bag again.

"Just don't worry." I make out through my gritted teeth. "The worst will end soon." I say going into another coughing fit. I curl my legs toward me and clasp my hands together as my lungs burn.

"Sakura!" Kakashi-sensei exclaims. Without thinking I reach out and grab his hand and pull it into my chest, clutching it tightly, willing for it to take away some of the pain. I feel my whole form shaking with the effort of not passing out from the pain. _Come on Sakura, just _stay awake_, it'll be over soon._ I will myself to ignore the pain in my chest. I feel a hand on my forehead and realize that it's Kakashi-sensei. He reaches down to my mouth and gently pulls my headband away and rests it on top of my forehead, smoothing my hair away to tie it behind my head. Only then do I realize how hard I was gripping his hand and I release him slightly. However, he keeps his hand in mine and squeezes it. I force a smile when I look up.

And just like that, I feel the pain slowly ease away. I breathe deeper and feel my body relax and I release Kakashi-sensei's hand. It was as if I had never even been poisoned. I turn and ease myself into a sitting position, instantly embarrassed at the amount of weakness I had just shown, and the time I'd wasted. I realize it will be a bit longer before I regain strength in my body, as it seems wracked of all strength from my shaking. I glance towards the trees again, no ninjas around.

"See? What'd I tell you? I'm fine. But we need to keep going; I apologize for the hold-up." I say standing and bowing in front of my team. Naruto stares at me, clearly not reassured, but he holds up a thumbs-up sign. Sasuke glances away when I meet his eyes. Kakashi-sensei waves his hand, shaking off my apology and smiling behind his mask.

"Alright, we'll keep going. And I must amend you on that plan of yours Sakura, wonderful job evaluating your enemies and thinking of a way to use their weapons against them."

"Oh and don't worry about the man with the clay-skin. Sasuke took him down; he was going after you underground." Naruto grins at me. I glance up at Sasuke, surprised. He jumps to the next nearest tree branch.

"Well come on then, let's go." He sounds impatient. I share a glance with Naruto and we all leap after him. We travel in silence and I have some time to think of a real solution to my problem.

While the poison was more of a one-hit-kill thing it would have some aftershocks. The poison has entered my respiratory system and died down to a less harmful level. In just a few hours I am likely to experience one more episode of coughing and choking, possibly worse than the first one. Of course, I'm not about to tell that to Naruto, Sasuke, or Kakashi-sensei. Besides, the mission will be over in a few hours anyway, right? While I mentally reason with myself I barely notice Sasuke disappear into the leaves of a tree in front of me. Naruto lifts his nose up and sniffs the air and disappears too. Recognizing the boys' sign of danger ahead, I press myself behind the trunk of a nearby tree and pull a kunai knife from my belt.


	3. Chapter 3

I hear a rustle above me and tense up, but relax when I realize it's only my sensei. A blush creeps into my cheeks when I reflect on the past few minutes. How do I feel about Kakashi-sensei? I think to myself, even just hearing his name sets my mind in a scramble. I shake my head as if I could physically remove his presence from my mind.

I hold in a gasp as a darkly cloaked ninja alights on the branch right beside me. I hold completely still and attempt to fade into the dark branches of the tree, despite my maroon colored skirt and pink shirt. I move one foot forward when the ninja looks away and make a tiny advance upon him, trying to catch him off guard. I reach up to take a jab with my kunai knife when the figure turns to face me. I duck immediately as he throws a kick and whip my feet around to attempt to trip him. He jumps, but when he does, Kakashi-sensei leaps from above him and lands a kick on his head so hard the tree branch breaks and both topple to the ground. I whisper a grateful "thank you." And fall silent when we hear the sound of a couple ninjas shout a few feet away from us.

I hear a crash and then a flash of yellow light as Naruto attacks. I grab the branch above me and pull myself into the leaves and get a good look at the battle. There are about five ninjas. They seem to be patrolling in small groups. The closer we get to the camp, the more advanced the ninja we fight are, I'd say the one's we're fighting now are at least jounin.

Finding a target I focus my chakra on my hands and jump from my hiding spot. This one's a girl and had long flowing blonde hair. I punch and kick with force and power, but the girl dodges quickly and I realize we are both close-combat fighters. I throw another punch and realize something has wrapped around my wrist. Her hair. If I look closely I can see the chakra infused in it. I try to wrench my hand free to no avail. She grins at me as I throw another punch and am caught in her hair.

Seeing an alternative option, I throw my foot against her stomach and the other on her chest, flipping myself over and falling over the edge of the branch. I hear her cry out as her hair is pulled by my dead weight. She is forced to fall with me. When we hit the ground I try to wrench my hands free but her hair seems to hold tight. She starts throwing punches of her own and I'm forced to block her punches rather than dodge without the use of my hands.

"Not so tough if you can't punch, now are you?" She snickers at me and I grin at her. I focus my chakra on one foot as I lift it up and slam it into the ground. She gasps as she loses her footing. I leap into the air and slam my feet into her chest, forcing her into the ground. She coughs and I gasp when her hair wraps around my foot; wincing at her triumphant grin.

"You're in over your head, honey." She says. With that I find myself hanging upside down with my arms tied to my side and only one foot free. "I wonder how easy it'll be to take you down, now that you can't move. A shame really, you have such a pretty face. Pretty eyes too. I think they'll be the first thing I ruin." I can't help but feel fear sink into my stomach.

"Come on Natsuki, you know playing with your prey will get you in trouble. If you ever want to become an ANBU like me, you'll have to be more mature." I glance up to see a male ninja, dressed head to toe in black, with only his yellow eyes showing behind his mask. I hear Natsuki sigh beside me.

"Fine." She says and holds up her fist. When it hits my cheek I clamp my teeth down on her wrist. She cries out and for a second I feel her hair slacken around my leg. It's enough and I twist my leg free. Although my arms are still tied, I know her weakness. She controls her hair through her hands. "She bit me!" I hear Natsuki cry and it's the man's turn to sigh.

"You should've seen it coming, with a brat like that." He says. "Hurry up and finish her off, if you can't, I'd love a try of my own." I lower my eyebrows and scowl at him, barely ducking a punch of Natsuki's.

I can't reach any of my shuriken or knives but I could make do without them. I move one leg into the air and bring it down hard on her fist and I hear the satisfying crack of a bone breaking. Before Natsuki can even scream I bring my head up and slam it against hers knocking her clean out. Her hair releases me and in one swift motion I pull her against the tree, gagging and tying her up.

"Not so fast Candy-Eyes, it's my turn." I hear the man say. _An ANBU._ I needed at least one more member of my team to even _attempt_ to take this guy down. We circle each other for a minute before I throw a couple shuriken his way, he jumps into the air. I dive to the ground beneath him and throw three more. They each hit the mark, with a poof of smoke and I look around wildly as the figure turns into nothing more than a log of wood with a couple shuriken in it. I turn just as a fist comes out of nowhere, slamming me into a tree and cracking the bark.

I will my head to clear and just barely duck as my opponent throws a barrage of punches and kicks. I block and dodge but eventually he hits me and I slam into another tree. This time I whisper a substitution jutsu and slink into the trees wiping blood from my mouth. I watch my substitution spar trying to think of a plan when a rustle sounds above me. "Looking for me?" I barely get a sound out before the jounin does a hand sign and a stream of chakra leaves his hand, slamming me through a tree before I hit solid ground. I roll over and over before coming to a stop and can barely lift a finger. I moan and cough, feeling a huge bump on the back of my head along with bruised ribs. My vision blurs and I see the man coming my way when a pair of feet jumps down to land right in front of me, blocking me. I look up and recognize Kakashi-sensei.

"Don't touch her." I hear him say, low and dangerous. My eyes linger on his crouched form, kunai knives in either hand; arms out, shielding me from the ANBU in front of me. I feel my head spinning as I watch Kakashi dash towards the man and commence a battle of might. Slowly, I push myself onto my hands and into a sitting position and whisper a few words to dull the pain coursing through my body.

I hear the clangs of kunai knives fade out as Kakashi overpowers the man. I stand up tall and straight, showing no weakness. Kakashi-sensei looks back at me and nods up towards the trees. I jump up and meet Naruto and Sasuke.

I gasp when I see Sasuke shaking on the ground holding his side with blood coming out. I rush over to him.

"We need to stop the bleeding. Naruto, can you grab the blue packet from this pouch?" I say ripping a piece of my skirt and laying it on Sasuke's side. Naruto fumbles around for a minute before handing me the packet. Kakashi comes to kneel behind me and my heart speeds up momentarily. I open the bag and shake the herbs onto Sasuke's wound before letting my hands hover over his side and hold my palms open after whispering a few healing words. A blue light encircles my hands and I see the wound slowly disappear. I let out a breath of relief, remembering the simulation.

When I am sure Sasuke's wound is definitely fine I turn to Naruto. "Are you okay Naruto? And you, Kakashi-sensei?" Both nod their heads. I turn back to Sasuke and grit my teeth when he turns away when my eyes reach his. Anger courses through my blood at his silence as if I don't even exist and I stand abruptly. "Don't worry. I'm not expecting a 'thank you' or anything." My voice like steel. I walk to my pouch and place the medicine back inside it.

My mind continues to circle around the coming poison disaster. I feel a hand on my shoulder and realize its Kakashi-sensei.

"Anything wrong?" He asks with smiling eyes, but I see they're coated with suspicion.

"I think I'm running low on chakra." I say, thinking back on the events of the night. Kakashi nods and Naruto walks over to us. After we do one last rain-check, I suggest we head out.

It seemed like a few short minutes but sooner or later we are just a few meters away from the camp entrance. Kakashi descends from his reconnaissance post and crouches next to me, Naruto, and Sasuke. "Alright, almost every ninja from here on out will be jounin or higher; but that doesn't matter, because with a good plan and a good execution of a plan, we can easily take them down without having to face them one-on-one." He proceeds to tell us the details and when he finishes we each go over our roles. With a final nod we all part ways. My job began on the east side of the camp and I sneak through the woods silently, Naruto leaps beside me and I reach out and shake his hand when he stops for his position. I release his hand and continue moving. A couple branches later I reach my position and sit down. Reaching into my bag and pulling out 3 explosives.

I plant each of them around the tree and then take off in a different direction after lighting them one-by-one. When I reach the other end of the camp I glance into the trees. I think I see Sasuke's silhouette outlined against the tree, but the rest are too far away for me to see. I breathe in deeply and calm my racing heart. _This is no time to get scared Sakura. You can do this._

As if on cue, explosions erupt from the bombs I placed and chaos ensues. Ninja emerge from tents and outposts, each scrambling to reach their positions. I nod once, and determination flows through me. I jump lithely down from the tree and press my back up against the tree near the oncoming ninja.

When I hear a rustle coming from beside the tree, I reach out and grab the ninja, whose surprise was unable to be masked. A jounin; but I caught him by surprise. I bring a punch down which he barely manages to dodge, jamming a foot out, I trip him and he goes down. When I'm sure he's unconscious I grab his face cover and his jacket. It's a bit big on me but it didn't matter as long as I could make it inside. I slide the suffocating mask over my mouth and slink inside the camp.

"Hey! Get back to your post!" A voice behind me orders. I freeze and give a slight nod before biting my lip and turning on the figure. Focusing my chakra on one hand I land a single punch and his head lolls back. I catch him easily, and when another ninja appears I drape him over my shoulder and point towards a large hut. The other ninja nods and returns to his post. I breathe out and enter the large hut cautiously, tying up the man and glancing around me before planting a bomb trap. Surprisingly there was no one to be found but I grab a few rolled up scrolls before heading towards the exit. Before I can leave however, three ninja jump down from the roof; one was the ninja I saw before, he smiles at me, showing teeth.

"You don't know who you're messing with." He says. I lift two fingers up to my mouth and let out a long shrill whistle. At that moment, the ceiling bursts into flames along with every other hut at the camp. One of the ninja glances around panicked.

"What's going on?" He says as every single hut lit on fire.

Naruto had done his job. While his shadow clones were distracting all of the guards out in the woods, his job was to spread oil over the top of the buildings. My bomb trap was set to go off at the sound of my whistle and it began the fire. Naruto's shadow clones would then confine the ninja into the camp and allow for no escape. Then we'd take them all down. With none of them able to use the buildings as a safe haven we should easily have the upper hand.

I throw myself at the three men and manage to get past them and meet Sasuke behind them. I nod at him and we both charge at the three. Whispering a substitution I throw some kunai knives as Sasuke uses his fire-blowing trick. The men disperse and seem to seep into the ground.

"Oh, no you don't!" I yell and slam my fist into the ground, cracking it and revealing the ninja's attempted trick. One is caught under a rock and I leap for him. Punching, kicking and finally restraining him.

I feel my breath whoosh out of my mouth when I feel a sudden punch to the back. I turn and see no one, looking above me I barely manage to dodge another punch from a creature that was all white. Humanoid in form but animal-like in nature. Its attacks were quick, but without precision or meaning. I dodge deftly and build up chakra. I reach into my pack and pull out a kunai knife, attaching my long string of wire to it. With chakra in my hand I reach back and throw it. It doesn't even come close to the creature but it wasn't meant to. I grab the string from my bag and begin circling the creature, moving quickly and precisely. By the time the animal realized what was going on it was too late. The form dissipated and the man toppled to the ground, unable to move.

Satisfied, I turn to help Sasuke who was holding his own against two Jounin. I pull out some shuriken and throw two at each man, distracting them long enough to summon a shadow clone. My copy and I rush at one of the men, both holding kunai knives and yelling out as we took a swipe at the man, finally, he was backed up against the wall and he made some hand signs before opening his palms to the air and shoving them at me. The smoke from the fire suddenly hit me. I gag and stumble backwards, rubbing the stinging dust from my eyes. I hear the slight sound as my shadow clone disappears.

I turn and leap away before the man can touch me. I open my eyes but my lungs were still burning._ My lungs...the poison…this will only make it worse._ I realize.

Just then I hear three trills of a whistle. This meant our backup plan was in motion. I leap to the far end of camp. Before I can reach it my lungs seem to give up on me and I crash into the ground clutching my chest. _No. Come on, Sakura. You have to do this. This is your job. Prove you can do something._

With a tremendous effort, I heave myself up and crawl towards the edges of camp ignoring the growing strain it takes to take a breath. When I reach the edge of the camp I concentrate what's left of my chakra into my right hand and scream out loud as I slam my hand into the dry ground.

The dust comes first as it rises from the ground with a huge rumble. Then, pieces of the ground rupture up to form jagged edges and throw off the balance of everyone. Once I hear the triumphant cry of Naruto I allow myself to fall completely to the ground, gasping for breaths of air. I hear running footsteps and with a shaking hand, pull out my last kunai knife.

"Sakura! What's happened?" I recognize my sensei's voice amid the fog in my head. I drop the kunai knife with relief.

Wheezing and coughing I manage a few words. "Poison…has…after-effects."

My eyes roll back and my head hits the ground as my lungs feel ready to explode. My mind is still awake though. I feel Kakashi-sensei grab me beneath my knees and back and hoist me into his arms, whispering a curse under his breath and yells out, with a slightly panicked voice.

"Naruto! Sasuke! Mission successful, we've got to go." I feel a rush of air as we leap into the trees and hear the sound of Naruto and Sasuke emerging from both sides.

"Sakura?!" I recognize Naruto's voice on my left.

"What's going on?" Sasuke's voice sounds to my right.

"It doesn't matter, but Sakura needs a healer, this instant." Kakashi-sensei responds.

"We're nearly 30 minutes out from the village she can't possibly make it to Tsunade in that time." Sasuke says in a tone of restrained patience.

When I take a breath my ears wring and my head spins. I let out a cry and shake my head from side to side.

"Shh, Sakura, you're going to be fine." I hear Kakashi say through his teeth. I feel us alight on a tree branch. "We need to ease the pain now. If we can't make it to the village in time we need to do _something_."

I feel my pack being removed from my waist and I go into another coughing fit.

"I found some numbing formula in here!" I hear Naruto's triumphant voice. "She has to swallow it." I feel glass on my lips and a cool liquid enters my mouth. I want to swallow it but my tongue seems heavy and the formula streams out of the side of my mouth. "Oh no, she can't swallow it." Naruto says panicked.

"Give it to me." I hear Kakashi-sensei say and suddenly I feel him lean down close to me, then, without warning, he forces my mouth open with his. The numbing drug enters my mouth and I swallow easily. His lips linger on mine, making sure I had swallowed the drug; and I can feel his deep breathing and the softness of his mouth. When he moves away I still smell the scent of the woods on his uniform.

It's silent for a minute while I imagine Naruto is staring open-mouthed, and Sasuke is staring a bit wide-eyed. The only sound is my labored breathing. I moan out loud and turn on my side, trying to make it easier to breathe.

"Ka-Kakashi-sensei?" I hear Naruto ask as I feel Kakashi gently pick me up again.

"I told you before Naruto. I won't let anything happen to my comrades." I'd imagine if I were fully conscious my cheeks would have turned bright red. "See if you can find anything else in that pack while we're on our way back to the village. I sink deeper into a dazed state with the wind around me and the sturdiness of my sensei and he grips me securely but gently.

"I'll bet the smoke made it worse." I hear Sasuke's voice as we soar through the trees, but its fainter.

"What?" Naruto asks.

"The smoke from the fire. I bet it weakened her lungs even more. The poison that the man used was designed to stop the lungs. The smoke just made it worse. I'd say worst case scenario, she inhaled too much and the poison is already shutting her down."

"But she didn't." Naruto interrupts. "She definitely will be fine. Sakura won't fall that easily."

_I hope you're right Naruto. I really hope you're right._ I think, as I succumb to the complete unconscious.

**Author's Note:**

**Voila! The next chapter! I'm literally way far into the story; I'm just posting it in pieces to keep you guys on your toes! Thank you for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

When I open my eyes it's dark out again. I realize I must've been out the entire day. My throat is extremely sore, but my breathing is easier. I take in a deep breath and turn on my side.

"Well, Sakura, you gave us all quite a scare. Next time it'd probably be better if you mention any after-effects of the poison." My eyes go wide at the sight of my sensei. My heart beats loudly in my chest and even though my lungs are fine, I find it hard to breathe. _It's like how I used to be around Sasuke._ I think, already getting scared.

I smile and speak in a raspy voice. "Sorry." My heart seems to clench and I remember how much everyone sacrificed because of me. "Sorry." I repeat without really noticing.

"Sakura, there's nothing to be_" I cut him off by pushing myself into a sitting position and reaching my hand up to my forehead, and feeling a headache coming on.

I sigh. "I always seem to be the one that holds everyone else back. I'm always relying on someone else to do the work for me and I'm tired of being so weak." I pause as I will myself not to cry. "I just thought if I were able to prove how strong I am…then…"

Kakashi-sensei has not moved since I began and I begin to resent being so open to him about my feelings. _What if he thinks I'm even weaker because of this?_ I wonder.

"Sakura. We all know you're strong." He begins, but I cut him off again.

"But I'm not! I can't keep fighting and fighting even when I'm completely out of chakra, like Naruto; I can't cleverly predict and counter my enemy's attacks with my own, like Sasuke; and I can't hold my own while also watching out for others, like you, Kakashi-sensei." I use my hand to cover my wet eyes and breathe in deeply, trying to regain my composure.

"Sakura." I feel a hand gently remove my fingers from my face and I look into my sensei's dark eyes. "You aren't like Naruto, or Sasuke, or me. But you are a part of our team because you complement us perfectly. You are a strategist, a planner; your attacks require serious thought, which Naruto and Sasuke don't seem to be able to understand. You are the mediator of this team; and every squad needs someone like you on it. Don't downgrade yourself. Every ninja goes through this, but I'm not the one who should be telling you this. You need to realize it on your own." He claims, releasing my hand and turning to stare out the window.

"Did you stay here all day?" I ask him quietly, attempting to change the subject.

"No, I went to talk to Tsunade about the mission this morning and walked around town for a bit, then came back here in the evening."

_Come on, Sakura. Did you really think he'd spend every waking hour checking in on you?_ I scold myself mentally.

"But I've been here since the evening." I glance out the window and realize that it's almost sunrise. Kakashi-sensei stayed the entire night in my hospital room. I try to calm my racing heart.

"And Naruto and Sasuke?" I ask him.

"Naruto came to visit this morning and stayed with you while I was away; I forced him to go to bed though, after a while. Sasuke hasn't been seen since the mission, he just kind of disappeared."

I nod dumbly, I didn't expect anything else. "The mission was successful? But I didn't think we finished them off." I wonder out loud.

"No, we didn't, but that wasn't the mission. Our mission was to halt the attack, it wasn't necessarily to kill everyone." We both lapse into silence. "I've been meaning to ask you…have you come to terms with your feelings for Sasuke yet?" I jerk my head up fast to look at him and wince at the pain; then glance back down at my clasped hands.

"It's over with him. He doesn't acknowledge my existence. I may be useless, but I'm not stupid. And I'm not a masochist; I won't relapse into the insufferable child I used to be. I don't think he's capable of loving anyone. It's not really his fault, of course, but I'm done being bound by him and how he thinks of me." I finish nodding, as if reassuring myself. It seemed different, saying it out loud.

"And Naruto?" Kakashi adds.

"What about Naruto?"

Kakashi sighs. "Normally, a teacher like myself wouldn't concern myself with trivial matters like the relationship one student has with another; but it can prove to be weakening in some instances." I stare at him, puzzled.

"That hasn't been a problem though, has it?" I ask him.

"Sakura, you seem especially affected by the people near you, which sometimes leads you to make rash decisions." My mind attempts to wrap itself around what my sensei is saying. A thought comes to me.

"Do you think I initiated that poisonous gas plan to impress Sasuke?" I ask, incredulous. "I told you, I'm not stupid. I did that because it seemed like a way to shorten the battle and minimize our losses!"

"What I'm trying to say is your desire to prove yourself to us will only make it harder on you."

I stop speaking as my half-awake mind attempts to process what my sensei is getting at.

"I don't understand. Am I being a burden?"

Another sigh. "Missions might be better for you if you didn't feel the need to prove anything to us, or Sasuke."

I am angry and hurt at the same time. "I told you, I'm not infatuated with Sasuke! I promise I was just doing what I believed would be the most effective strategy for the battle!" I defend myself. How did our conversation take such a turn?

"Yes, Sakura, I know. But if we are always worrying about what you'll do_"

I cut him off, horrified at how my sensei saw me. A burden. I am a burden to them. I hold everyone back.

"Well then, why did you even bother taking me on the mission? If I'm such a burden why would you bother even allowing me to join a team? And I'm sorry if my strategic planning seems like I'm trying to impress Sasuke, but it's not. Last I checked, a ninja is willing to put his life on the line for his team. I am not excluded from that! I did that because I figured that I could aid my team, even if it meant laying my life on the line."

I kick my legs over the side of the bed and stand up in an attempt to show Kakashi-sensei how strong I really am and immediately fall into a coughing fit.

"Sakura!" He yells and kneels beside me, reaching out to help me onto the bed. I push his hand away and glare up at him. I had trusted this person to support me; I had spilled my heart out to him because I knew he wouldn't make fun of me. Everything was falling apart.

"Don't touch me." I cover my mouth as coughs wrack my form. "Get going, I'm sure Tsunade has something for you and the team to do." I say wretchedly, already aware of my childish behavior.

Kakashi glares at me with his single uncovered eye, and reaches out to me again. I whisper a few words and watch the look in his eyes as I poof into an ordinary pillow.

I run down the darkened hallway, tripping over my own feet and occasionally coughing, until I reach the back door of the hospital and collapse in the grass outside. It's cool with the morning dew and I realize my hospital dress is damp when I stand again.

Hearing shouts behind me, I lope off into the woods behind the hospital. It was time for me to train.

After pushing my way through many shrubs and bushes I made it to a large flat strip of land. I tied my headband behind my head and got into a fighting stance. I threw kicks and punches left and right, knocking trees to the ground and destroying rocks.

I attempt to ignore the aching in my chest and the occasional times when I would need to stop just to breathe normally.

Concentrating my chakra in my right hand, and slamming it into the ground, anger forcing me to use even more power than usual and I gasp as a huge amount of dust flies into the air, followed by a snake-like pattern of destruction in its wake. I grin at this strength and a thought strikes me.

I concentrate my chakra to the tips of my fingers and shove my hands into the ground, picking up a huge chunk of soil and throwing it into the air in front of me. I then leap into the air and twist around, throwing a kick and breaking the soil into smaller chunks of rock.

When I'm satisfied that it's enough, I concentrate my chakra in my feet and flip as I shoot towards the ground; when my feet hit, it sends a shockwave toward the rocks and they instantly gain speed and slam into the terrain in front of me. I wince as I stand up and collapse onto the ground as my lungs seem to close off.

I gasp for breath and gag on the dust that had entered my mouth. My eyes sting with tears that threaten to fall. I try to cough but I know it's no use. I was alone. Out in the woods alone. No one would notice; I'm a burden anyway. I sob uselessly into the ground beside me, ready to scream out, but my throat hurts to much.

"Sakura!" I hear someone yell out my name, but I don't even bother to move. The footsteps turn from a walking pace to a running pace and skid to a stop beside my head. I listen as someone drops to the ground beside me. Strong hands grip my shoulders and turn me over to face them.

"Kakashi-sensei." I say in a miserably sad and injured voice. I look horrible, with puffy red eyes and tear streaks on my cheeks.

"Sakura, what have you_?" He whispers softly before pulling me into his chest and wrapping his arms around me. My tears stop, along with my breathing. His fierce façade had disappeared and his voice was gentle and soft. I feel Kakashi sensei's hand running through my hair and clutch his shirt tightly in my fists. His fingers tangle in my slightly unkempt pink tresses and he presses my head against his shoulder. I bury my head in his warm embrace. My back tingles as he runs his hand up and down it. All of my energy was gone. I lie limp in his arms. Eventually he releases me.

"Sakura, you are far from a burden. So please try to forgive my harsh words." He says through his mask. Not offering any further explanation.

I manage a nod and hang my head. "I apologize for acting like a child and behaving stupidly." I say wretchedly. "I understand your reasoning." I begin and realize I am still acting self-conscious. I put on a smile and beam up at him, with a total change of attitude. "But that just means I'll have to work harder to become stronger." Kakashi tilts his head and looks at me, as if seeing through my act. Despite my façade, a single tear manages to stream down my cheek.

I shut my eyes when Kakashi reaches up and softly brushes it away with his thumb. I keep my eyes closed as he runs his fingertips down my cheek and drops his hand.

He pulls away suddenly and leaves his hands only on my shoulders. He puts his hands under my arm and hoists me up into a standing position. I topple around for a minute before gaining footage.

"Please Sakura, stay in the hospital. You need to understand that in order to become stronger, you first need to rest your body. Only then will you be able to master your fighting." He pleads with me. I nod my head, feeling a bit ashamed and remembering Naruto's fervent ambition when even his chakra was low. As if sensing my thoughts, Kakashi goes on. "I tie Naruto's skills with endurance to his connection to the Nine-Tailed Fox, and his stupidity." He smiles through his mask.

I manage a small grin. "I guess I don't have a choice." I rasp back. When my coughing starts up again, I feel my sensei's hands tighten on my shoulders.

He lifts me into a standing position and drapes my arm over his shoulder. When we reach the hospital, no one bothers us as we hobble back to my room.


End file.
